Week in Review

May 16, 2014
Here is the latest edition of Week In Review - a series of weekly messages from the Mayor and City Council to help Richardson residents and businesses keep up to date on events at City Hall.

Wildflower! Festival This WeekendDiscount Tickets
Time is running out to purchase discounted tickets to the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival. Three-day passes are available until 5:30 p.m. Friday at all Metroplex Tom Thumb stores and online through wildflowerfestival.com.

Richardson Resident Tickets
Richardson residents can also purchase up to six individual adult tickets in advance per each day of the festival for only $10 each by showing a water or utility/phone bill with a Richardson address or a valid driver’s license.

Discount tickets for residents are available at:

Customer Service Desk at City Hall (until 5 p.m. Friday)

Gymnastics Center (until 1 p.m. Saturday)

Huffhines Recreation Center (until 5 p.m. Saturday)

Heights Recreation Center (until 5 p.m. Saturday)

Senior Center (until 5 p.m. Saturday)

Regular Tickets
Single-day adult tickets will be available at the gate for $20 as well as through the festival’s website. Kids age 5-12 will be admitted for $3, and admission is free for kids 4 and younger. Kids 12 and younger get in free on Sunday with a paid adult courtesy of Bank of America, and adult tickets are $10 on Sunday courtesy of Cisco.

Best Place to Park
The festival has four entrance points, including the new Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Gateway on the north side of the festival. The Blue Cross Blue Shield parking garage is the best place to park, allowing easy access to the festival and covered parking. It is located north of Lookout Drive and usually has plenty of spaces.

Mobile App
An updated version of the Wildflower! Festival mobile app has been released, featuring a new design and updates to festival events, performances and information. First released last year, the app allows both Apple iOS and Android users to easily connect with the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival, including viewing maps and the official Wildflower! Twitter feed.

Click here to download the Apple iOS version, and click here to download the Android version.

Eisemann Center Presents Lineup Announced
The Eisemann Center announced the lineup for the 2014-2015 Eisemann Center Presents season, which includes four productions in the Theatre Comedy Series, five shows in the Family Theatre Series, four Keyboard Conversations® performances and eight MainStage Shows.

Several popular productions and artists from the past 12 years are returning for this season, including Mandy Patinkin, Steve Solomon, the Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Church Basement Ladies. They will be joined by new artists and shows, such as Ben Vereen, Darlene Love, Dennis DeYoung, Arlo Guthrie, Taylor Mac, Andrea McArdle, Faith Prince, Donna McKechnie and Maureen McGovern.

Subscription and multi-show tickets are on sale at eisemanncenter.com or by calling 972-744-4650. Single-show tickets will go on sale July 14.

How Much Has the Rain Helped?
Officials with the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) said that the recent rains in some parts of North Texas provided enough water for lawns, gardens and other landscaping needs, but the key reservoirs for the NTMWD are still far below normal levels. NTMWD and the City of Richardson remain under Stage 3 water restrictions, which limits landscape watering to once every two weeks, if needed.
While runoff from recent rain continues to flow into area reservoirs, Lavon Lake is still 11.3 feet below the normal conservation level. Lake Jim Chapman in northeast Texas is nearly seven feet below the normal conservation level.

NTMWD is still without the use of the water supply from Lake Texoma because of the zebra mussel infestation. While the new pipeline to restore pumping from Lake Texoma expected to go online in phases beginning later this month, water restrictions will remain in effect.

Council Approves Rezoning for Mixed-Use Development Near UT Dallas
The City Council approved a rezoning request made by Wynne Jackson, Inc., representing the University of Texas at Dallas, that will allow for the development of a mixed-use neighborhood with up to 400 housing units and 50,000 square feet of retail space north of Synergy Park Boulevard west of Floyd Road. The development, known as Northside at UTD, is designed to primarily serve UT Dallas students, faculty and staff members and is the first phase of a larger plan to integrate UT Dallas into a future DART Cotton Belt Rail Station north of the development.

Council Approves Rezoning for Eastside Phase 2
The City Council on Monday approved the rezoning of 13 acres south of the Eastside mixed-use development near US 75 and Campbell Road that will allow for a second phase of the development.

The property currently includes 11 one-story office buildings and an undeveloped lot. Concept plans for the site include an office building up to 15 stories, two four-story multi-family residential buildings and three pedestrian connections to the Central Trail on the west side of the property.

The property rezoned Monday will also be a mixed-use development that will reflect the architectural style of the first phase of Eastside. Watch the City Council public hearing about the second phase at bit.ly/1sqVzJR.

Building Safety Month
The City of Richardson is joining communities across the nation and around the world in celebrating Building Safety Month during May. Building Safety Month is a public awareness campaign offered each year to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create and sustain safe and sustainable structures.

The Richardson City Council approved the adoption of the 2012 International Codes last year to ensure greater construction quality and safer building techniques, more clearly define building code language and methods of installation, and to promote the use of innovative processes to increase efficiency and reduce construction costs.

The adoption of the new 2012 codes was a key component that helped the City receive a Class 1 ISO rating from the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Insurance Services Office (ISO). Only 56 municipalities in the U.S. and only 14 cities in Texas have been so honored.

Building codes are needed to protect citizens from disasters like fires, weather-related events and structural collapse. Building Safety Month is a celebration of all aspects of building safety that helps families, employers and leaders understand and appreciate the best practices that keep the places where we live, work and play, safe.

Early Voting for May 27 Primary Is Next Week
Early voting for the May 27 Democratic and Republican Party Primary Runoff Election is available for Dallas County voters May 19 to 23 at the Richardson Civic Center/City Hall.

A sample ballot and Dallas County voting day polling locations may be found on the Dallas County Elections website at dallascountyvotes.org. Collin County polling locations and a sample ballot may be found on the Collin County Elections Department website at co.collin.tx.us/elections. Dates and times for early voting at Dallas and Collin county locations are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Election Day voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, at the location designated for your precinct. Richardson City Hall is not a voting location on Election Day.

Voters are reminded that they are required to show a photo ID at the polls. For more information, contact the Dallas County Elections Department at 214-819-6389 or the Collin County Elections Department at 972-424-1460 ext. 1990.

North Texas Cake Show at Civic Center this Weekend
The North Texas Cake Show is coming to the Richardson Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature classes, competitions, demonstrations and shopping. General admission is $7 per person and $10 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and younger are free with an adult. For more information, visit northtexascakeshow.com.

Seniors to “See What’s New” in RISD Next Week
The second annual “See What’s New in Richardson ISD” senior tour will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday. It includes breakfast at the RISD Administration Building, a walking tour of the Math/Science/Technology Magnet Elementary School and Lake Highlands High School, entertainment by students and more.

The tour is open to Richardson ISD residents who are 55 and older. Space is limited. RSVP to Elaine Simmons at 469-593-0301.

Free Lawn Care Maintenance Class on Tuesday
Learn how to select the right turf grass and improve the health and longevity of your landscape at a free class from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center. For more information or to register, call 972-231-5362 or visit dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

Seniors’ Net to Host Free Seminar
Seniors’ Net will hold a free seminar on “Nutrition Tips for the Diabetic” at 10 a.m. Tuesday at NETWORK of Community Ministries, 741 S. Sherman St. RSVP by calling 972-234-8880, ext. 118.

NETWORK holds free seminars each month featuring a topic of interest to seniors. The next event is a mini health fair on June 3.

Richardson Animal Shelter Pet of the Week

Meet Walter! His owners left him tied to a tree at the Shelter. He is a sweet and gentle older dog about 8 years old, male, Great Pyrenees shepherd mix, house trained, leash trained and up to date on all his vaccinations. Please help him find a good home.